Drawn to Water

It’s been hard to get motivated so far this year. I was beginning to think the spark had well and truly gone…until today.

I was over in the Leitrim Sculpture Centre in Manorhamilton where Water Senses, an exhibition by Ruth Le Gear is running. I got to listen to Ruth speaking about her work and I found it really fascinating. Ruth was talking about water and how it is altered by things that pass through it and about the energy it holds and how it can influence us.

Ruth makes remedies using the water, each different water source has a different cure. We heard about her work with the water from Glenade Lake in Leitrim. Glenade is also known as Jealous Valley. The lake has a tale to tell, in the 1700’s Grainne, a local lady, was washing clothes at the lake when her husband heard her scream. He ran to see what was happening and found she had been killed by a Dobhar-chú (half dog, half water creature). He stabbed the Dobhar-chú and as it was dying it wailed and called it’s mate which arose from the lake and chased the man – after a long chase the man killed this Dobhar-chú as well.

In Conwall Graveyard near Glenade Lake there is a gravestone believed to be where Grainne is laid to rest, on the stone there is a carving of the Dobhar-chú.

When I heard Ruth telling this story I had to go for an explore. First I went down to the lake, half hoping to see a Dobhar-chú. I didn’t see anything but it is a very beautiful area. I also visited the graveyard and sure enough I saw the grave. So who knows maybe Leitrim has it’s very own version of the Lough Ness Monster…….

You can see Ruth’s exhibition until Saturday March 25th at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre. After that it will be heading to Hull in the UK and heading to Enniskillen after Hull. Thank you Ruth for such an interesting insight into your work.